Samples of The N.Y. Consolidated Card Co.'s celebrated "Squeezer" Playing Cards

[jmrock]

I am fortunate enough to be the new owner of a salesman sample of early 1900 Bee Playing Card Backs.  Although this is a new acquisition, I thought it important for everyone who doesn't frequent that page to see the artistry and intricacy that went into making these backs… I've been searching years for these decks and this is the first time I have ever seen them for sale / auction… I can only imagine that the Two of Hearts was glued backwards and is an error in the sample… Enjoy and hope you get as much joy looking at them as I have…  Please see closeups of the cards in the next post due to image constraints...

[jmrock]

Closeups of the individual cards and back descriptions...

[10ofclubs]

Wow jmrock, that is a fantastic piece. I've only seen one of those go up for auction, and I think it was a Bicycle one. You are one lucky guy. You mind sharing what something like this would fetch at auction?

Back No. 154 looks like the recently released Bicycle Leaf Back decks or the WWII Patriotic decks.

[jmrock]

It was actually the exact design as the Bicycle Leaf Back introduced in 1947… It was also the same back used in the Uncle Sam 'Tax Free' Stamp decks released during WWII…

[Card Player]

Absolutely amazing. Some of those backs have most likely never been printed on an actual deck. I'm sure this is something even USPCC would like to have, had they known or cared to look for one. I never knew something like this existed. It makes sense now that it does. That's how business was done then.

[chach]

Geez, that's amazing, not just for what it is but for the condition it's in.  Congratulations and thanks for sharing!

[bhong]

Thanks so much for showing these off. They're really amazing and I'm having a hard time deciding which backs I wish would get reprinted. No 203, 200, 181 and 148 would be great to see again. As much as I know Bees are casino back decks, I'd love to see the 181 bee back with a Bee deck (Ace of Spade and Jokers from a Bee deck).

[sprouts1115]

Wow! Thanks for sharing.  The more I look at vintage backs the more I'm falling in love with them.  So can someone post a picture of the Grade no 92 Bee. Back No 178.  Or are we going to try to convince him to use so kind of heat to free that 2oH to see the back of the card.  just kidding...

[Lee Asher]

Fantastic! You've given me the exact name to an old Bee design I have been researching. I have been asking around for the name, but it's now staring me in the face -- thanks to you.

On a side note, 52 Plus Joker secretary Steve Bowling owns a few of these amazing fold-out sample pamphlets. He had them on display at his booth at this past 52+ convention.

Once again, thank you for sharing! #MysterySolved

Asher

ps. enjoy your treasure!

[Anthony]

Those are just fantastic, Gratz on your acquisition. As everyone else said, thank you for sharing, gives us all, I'm sure, a point of reference on some of these back designs.
............not to mention a shout out from Lee Asher 

Well done jm!

[jmrock]

Not to diminish the shout outs from all the forum members, but without sounding melodramatic, I'm honored that I've helped Asher in his quest for playing card knowledge… I've been bidding big uncomfortable numbers on the bicycle salesmen samples the past month or so, but they just sky-rocketed far out of the realm of reality for me, at this time… I feel blessed to have picked this up… I have a special fondness for Bee & Tally Ho…

[Don Boyer]

Absolutely amazing. Some of those backs have most likely never been printed on an actual deck. I'm sure this is something even USPCC would like to have, had they known or cared to look for one. I never knew something like this existed. It makes sense now that it does. That's how business was done then.

Actually, I saw samples like this with Lee at Tom Dawson's house in Toronto.  They're all backs that were printed - salesmen took these sample kits and similar, larger sample books around store to store to show to shop owners, allowing them to see what they'd be buying before placing a wholesale order for their shop's inventory.  They're incredibly cool and exceptionally hard to find since they were never intended for public release.

And yes, JM, he's got a nice one with Tally Ho backs on it!  (At least he did when I visited.)  It's very surprising the number of backs that used to exist for USPC's various product lines, and not just Bicycle.

[jmrock]

A friend emailed me and stated that he thought the two of hearts, which states Grade No. 92 Bee, Back No. 178 may have been placed upside down in error… Any thoughts from the new owner / aficionado? Thanks… J.

[10ofclubs]

Maybe all the cards in that deck had twos of hearts on them. Like a double face deck. Which could get quite confusing.

OR it was put in backwards. Just rip it off and let's find out 

[Lee Asher]

Not to diminish the shout outs from all the forum members, but without sounding melodramatic, I'm honored that I've helped Asher in his quest for playing card knowledge…

The honor is all mine! Again, thank you for sharing with everyone. Hopefully others doing research will find these images useful.

[52plusjoker]

Not to diminish the shout outs from all the forum members, but without sounding melodramatic, I'm honored that I've helped Asher in his quest for playing card knowledge… I've been bidding big uncomfortable numbers on the bicycle salesmen samples the past month or so, but they just sky-rocketed far out of the realm of reality for me, at this time… I feel blessed to have picked this up… I have a special fondness for Bee & Tally Ho…

Hi JMRock
Really neat piece. NYCC did a series of these c1900-10 for a variety of their brands. We have one set with "Bee", "Hart's Crown", "Squeezers", "Steamboats" and "Triton" . Samples are one of the pieces of playing card ephemera that Judy and I love - and we've been fortunate to acquire quite a few over 30 or so years. From my perspective they are well worth paying 'out of the realm' if you can handle it because they are pretty scarce, slowly [or sky-rocketing] up in value and a wonderful part of the history of the earlier makers.

The Heart 2 was undoubtedly put in correctly - we have found that they normally have cards placed the other way so you can see what a pip, or court, is like. See scan below for an example of turned card from a USPC sample book.

Maybe we should set up a topic, or sub-topic, where queries, comments and information about some of the vintage and antique cards can be placed. Will sure help me find them for answering!

What do you readers think?

[10ofclubs]

I think a vintage/antique section would be really helpful. It can be difficult to find information when you have to sift through the modern deck topics.

[52plusjoker]

Interesting name 10ofClubs. Over the years we've had three old, valuable decks in mint condition missing the 10 of Clubs. Maybe you have those cards!!

Glad you like the idea. Makes sense to us. We'll work with Don to figure out best way forward.

[52plusjoker]

Absolutely amazing. Some of those backs have most likely never been printed on an actual deck. I'm sure this is something even USPCC would like to have, had they known or cared to look for one. I never knew something like this existed. It makes sense now that it does. That's how business was done then.

Actually, I saw samples like this with Lee at Tom Dawson's house in Toronto.  They're all backs that were printed - salesmen took these sample kits and similar, larger sample books around store to store to show to shop owners, allowing them to see what they'd be buying before placing a wholesale order for their shop's inventory.  They're incredibly cool and exceptionally hard to find since they were never intended for public release.

And yes, JM, he's got a nice one with Tally Ho backs on it!  (At least he did when I visited.)  It's very surprising the number of backs that used to exist for USPC's various product lines, and not just Bicycle.

You'd all be surprised at the number of different Bee backs. Somewhere I have a pretty complete compilation with pictures that a good friend, Jack Ferrell, sent me some years ago. When I can put my hands on it I'll post it up here. And I am quite sure all the backs in these sample books and folders were used for produced decks.

[Don Boyer]

You'd all be surprised at the number of different Bee backs. Somewhere I have a pretty complete compilation with pictures that a good friend, Jack Ferrell, sent me some years ago. When I can put my hands on it I'll post it up here. And I am quite sure all the backs in these sample books and folders were used for produced decks.

I wouldn't be the least surprised - you showed them to me!

We've love to have those images as part of the knowledge base here.

[Jamm Pakd Cards]

Wow thanks for sharing!  That is really neat! 

[Jamm Pakd Cards]

It was actually the exact design as the Bicycle Leaf Back introduced in 1947… It was also the same back used in the Uncle Sam 'Tax Free' Stamp decks released during WWII…

Just for reference, here are some new leaf backs I purchased last Christmas. 

[jmrock]

Tom… Thanks for clearing that up…  It's so nice to have you here to share your extensive knowledge…

[WKalush]

A friend emailed me and stated that he thought the two of hearts, which states Grade No. 92 Bee, Back No. 178 may have been placed upside down in error… Any thoughts from the new owner / aficionado? Thanks… J.

I have quite a few of these sample folders from NYCC and I believe that a reversed card was meant to show the faces and also when they did that at a specific position, like back 178, it might mean that back was out of print or no longer offered. Just a theory and more research would be necessary to determine if their purpose was as calculated as that. But I can state that these sample sets do change considerably in what is offered for sale and reversed cards are often on them.

[WKalush]

Having gotten curious about back 178 I checked my set like this and it has back 178 reversed and mine shows the 2 of diamonds. In going through some papers from Jack Farrell I have photo copies of his sample folder and his no. 178 is also reversed and shows the 7 of diamonds. Now it's clear that this was intentional and leads to the question, what was Bee back 178??